Samsung Galaxy Tab S launches July 12

SINGAPORE — Samsung’s flagship tablet, the Galaxy Tab S, will launch on Saturday (July 12).

Available in two colours, Titanium Bronze and Dazzling White, the new tablet will come in two screen sizes and multiple configurations.

The Galaxy Tab S (8.4”) 16GB will retail at S$698 for the LTE version and S$598 for the Wi-Fi version. The 10.5”, 32GB Galaxy Tab S will retail at S$948 for the LTE version, and S$848 for the Wi-Fi version.

Unveiled in New York on June 11, the Galaxy Tab S is targetted for premium personal use.

One of the new functions that come with the Galaxy Tab S is the SideSync, which allows users to sync their S5s with the tablet and make use of all its apps and call functions from the tablet itself, while multitasking on other windows which can also interact with the phone. The software is expected to be rolled out to other Samsung tablets eventually, giving them all similar capabilities as phablets.

Samsung has also teamed up with content and service providers for the Galaxy Tab S to offer customers perks such as three months of unlimited free membership to the Marvel Unlimited app and two months of unlimited viewing with Internet video service Toggle Prime for just S$1. Consumers who purchase the Galaxy Tab S will also receive a free Book Cover.

Galaxy Tab S owners will have access to the Galaxy Life app, which includes exclusives deals for the new tablets, such as free minutes with E2Max and discounts at Party World.

TAKING THE TABLET THRONE

For the first time, the new tablets feature high-definition Super AMOLED screens for unrivalled sharpness of tone, vivid colours and greater clarity. They were earlier introduced on Samsung’s premium line of smartphones.

This, and other enhancements also taken from Samsung’s wildly-successful Galaxy S smartphone line, is part of its efforts to knock Apple off its perch and become the world’s top tablet manufacturer.

By diversifying its tablet portfolio, Samsung will be able to develop different lines to serve different market needs, it said at the June launch. Its Galaxy Pro line is aimed at business professionals, while the Galaxy Tab line is a mass market, affordable tablet.

Last year, Samsung tablets made up most of the 40 per cent of the tablet market not already taken up by Apple’s iPad, data from market intelligence firm ABI Research showed.

And in the first quarter this year, Samsung managed to wrestle away some market share from the iPad, even in a slowing tablet market as consumers held on to their devices for a longer time or switched to phablets, according to a report by research firm IDC.

Shipments of Samsung tablets rose 32 per cent on-year to 11.2 million units in the first three months of the year, while Apple’s slipped 16.1 per cent to 16.4 million, IDC data showed.